Auchenoglanis is a genus of relatively large, up to 70 cm (2.3 ft) SL, claroteid catfishes native to various freshwater habitats in Africa.[1]

Auchenoglanis
Temporal range: Upper Miocene - Recent
Auchenoglanis occidentalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Claroteidae
Subfamily: Auchenoglanidinae
Genus: Auchenoglanis
Günther, 1865
Type species
Pimelodus biscutatus
É. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1809

Auchenoglanis is a primitive member of the subfamily Auchenoglanidinae (also includes Notoglanidium and Parauchenoglanis) and represents a stem group.[2]

Species of this genus occur predominantly in the Nilo-Sudan region and Western Africa, but also in the Congo River, Lakes Albert and Tanganyika.[3]

Auchenoglanis species mainly feed on insect aquatic larvae and eventually on small mollusks, alevin, and swimming insects. These feeding habits should also enable them to stand a relatively wide range of ecological conditions.[2]

Living species edit

Following a taxonomic review in 1991, only two living species (marked with a star* in the list) were recognized in this genus.[3] This is followed by FishBase.[1] A review in 2010 found that there are six additional species, bringing the total to eight,[4] and this is followed by Catalog of Fishes.[5] Genetic studies indicate that additional, currently unrecognized species exist.[6]

Fossil species edit

Auchenoglanis is rare in the fossil record compared to other African catfishes.[2] Auchenoglanis includes an extinct species, Auchenoglanis soye from Western Chad.[2] A few other fossils are also attributed to Auchenoglanis with no specific species described.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). Species of Auchenoglanis in FishBase. December 2011 version.
  2. ^ a b c d e Otero, Olga; Likius, Andossa; Vignaud, Patrick; Brunet, Michel (2007). "A New Claroteid Catfish (Siluriformes) From the Upper Miocene of Toros-Menalla, Chad: Auchenoglanis soye, sp. nov". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 285–294. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[285:ANCCSF]2.0.CO;2.
  3. ^ a b Teugels, G. G.; Risch, L.; De Vos, L.; Audenaerde, D.F.E. Thys van den (1991). "Generic review of the African bagrid catfish genera Auchenoglanis and Parauchenoglanis with description of a new genus". Journal of Natural History. 25 (2): 499–517. doi:10.1080/00222939100770311.
  4. ^ Retzer, M.E. (2010). "Taxonomy of Auchenoglanis Günther 1865 (Siluriformes: Auchenoglanididae)". Zootaxa. 2655: 26–51.
  5. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Auchenoglanis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  6. ^ Okwiri, B.; L. Cao; D.W. Nyingi; E. Zhang (2018). "Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of the Catfish Species Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Valenciennes, 1840) (Pisces: Claroteidae) from Lake Turkana in East Africa: Taxonomic Implications". Zootaxa. 4450 (1): 115–124. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4450.1.8. PMID 30313861.